Background and Context:
The tribe of Banu Nadir in Khaybar thought of the idea of starting a confederation in the Battle of Khandaq (mentioned in Episode 53).
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did not retaliate straight after the Battle of Khandaq because he knew that the Quraysh would support the Jews.
now that the Muslims made a treaty with the Quraysh, the Prophet ﷺ had an opportunity to retaliate against Banu Nadir, as there was no threat of the Quraysh helping the Jews.
The Prophet ﷺ’s Announcement of Khaybar:
About two or three months after the treaty of Al-Hudaybiyyah, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ announced to his companions that they were going to conquer Khaybar.
The Prophet ﷺ: Allah has already promised us that we will be victorious in this battle.
The Condition of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ:
The Prophet ﷺ made a condition: Only the people who were present at Al-Hudaybiyyah are allowed to join this expedition of Khaybar.
The Munafiqin wanted to be part of the expedition because they knew they would receive spoils of war. They would beg the Prophet ﷺ to let them be part of the expedition to Khaybar, and they would make excuses as to why they missed out at Al-Hudaybiyyah.
The Munafiqin told the Prophet ﷺ that they were only going for Allah and not for wealth.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said to them: Okay, you can come for Allah, but only the people present at Al-Hudaybiyyah will receive the spoils of the war.
News Reaches the Jews at Khaybar:
Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul, the leader of the Munafiqin, sent a message to the Jews at Khaybar informing them that the Prophet ﷺ was coming to attack them.
The Jews of Khaybar had an army of ten thousand men and one of the leaders of the Jews suggested that they should go to Madinah before the Prophet and his companions arrive at Khaybar.
However, the Jews of Banu Nadir were cowardly people and they refused to do this.
Forces and Alliances:
The Muslim army consisted of fourteen hundred and thirty men, including two hundred horsemen. They were vastly outnumbered compared to the ten thousand Jews.
The Jews tried to utilise the same strategy that they used in the Battle of Khandaq. They wanted to make an alliance with other tribes to fight with the Muslims.
Kinana, the leader of the Jews at Khaybar, approached the tribe of Banu Murra and asked them to join the alliance.
The leader of the tribe of Banu Marra, Al-Harith ibn Awf said to Kinana: I cannot join your alliance. now I see that the matter of Muhammad has become strong. I don’t want to fight against him anymore.
Kinana approached the tribe of Ghatafan, and he approached their leader, Uyaynah ibn Hisn and asked him to join them in an alliance.
Uyanah ibn Hisn agreed, under the condition that the Jews of Khaybar would give him half of the fruits that grew in the city over a period of one year.
Uyaynah ibn Hisn’s Conversation with Al-Harith ibn Awf:
Uyaynah ibn Hisn then had a conversation with the leader of Banu Murra, Al-Haris ibn Awf.
Uyaynah asked Al-Harith why he did not join in alliance with the Jews of Khaybar.
Al-Harith replied: Because I see that the religion of Muhammad is strong so I don’t want to join an alliance against them.
Al-Harith told Uyaynah: I heard Sallam ibn Mishkam (one of the leaders of the Jews) say: Surely, the Jews will be slaughtered two times. One time already happened in Madinah with the tribe of Banu Qurayza, and the second time will be in Khaybar.
Al-Harith was trying to convince the leader of the Ghatafan, Uyaynah, to not join in the alliance.
Uyaynah then asked Al-Harith: If Sallam ibn Mishkam himself is saying that the Jews are going to be slaughtered, why is Sallam himself ready to fight the Muslims?
Al-Harith replied: This is out of pride for his people.
Uyaynah ibn Hisn then said: Yes, pride for his people and I am with him as well. He said this even though he was not part of the Jews.
The Strategy of the Prophet:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was very strategic in his planning and he wanted to enter the north side of Khaybar.
This was because, he knew that if they attacked the Jews from the South side, the Jews would be able to run away.
One of his companions then showed him a way to enter the South side of Khaybar.
The Prophet Arrives in Khaybar:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was surprised to see the tribe of Ghatafan ready to fight.
The Jews already had ten thousand soldiers and Uyaynah sent one thousand soldiers from the Ghatafan, and he promised to send four thousand more later.
The four thousand remaining soldiers from the Ghatafan were waiting for the Prophet ﷺ and his army to move forward to try and attack the Muslims from behind.
The Prophet ﷺ Speaks to Uyaynah ibn Hisn:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ then asked Uyaynah: Why are you doing this? What is your (Ghatafan) business in this matter?
Uyaynah told the Prophet ﷺ that he was in alliance with the Jews.
The Prophet ﷺ warned Uyaynah: It is better for you to go back now because Allah has promised me that I will be victorious and I will conquer Khaybar.
Uyaynah replied: It is you who should turn back. You will be defeated and your companions will be slaughtered, and we will take you as our prisoners.
The Prophet ﷺ tried to explain to Uyaynah but as previously mentioned, the Prophet ﷺ had nicknamed him ‘the foolish person who is obeyed by his people.’
The Prophet’s Offer and Warning to Uyaynah:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ then offered Uyaynah half of the fruits of Khaybar for a period of one year if he was to leave.
Uyaynah responded to the Prophet saying: How can you promise me the fruits of Khaybar when Khaybar is not even in your control?
The Prophet ﷺ replied: I am going to get Khaybar, the promise of Allah is true and I will give you.
However, Uyaynah still continued to stubbornly refuse.
The Prophet ﷺ and his army were heading towards the ten thousand Jews and the one thousand men sent by the Ghatafan.
The remaining four thousand soldiers from the Ghatafan were behind them led by Uyaynah ibn Hisn and eventually, they moved forward to join the one thousand men he originally sent in Khaybar.
The Prophet ﷺ Tries to Negotiate with Uyaynah Again:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ tried to negotiate with Uyaynah one more time and he sent Sa’d ibn Ubadah, the leader of the tribe of Khazraj to him.
Sa’d tried to convince Uyaynah and said: It is better that you take what we are offering you. Take it now and go back in peace. Because if you refuse and keep this alliance with the Jews, then you will have nothing but the sword.
Uyaynah continued to refuse and replied: what are you talking about? You will never be able to defeat us and the Jews.
Sa’d ibn Ubadah went back to the Prophet ﷺ and told him Uyaynah was not willing to listen to what they had to say.
The Confidence of the Muslim Army:
The Muslim army of fourteen hundred and thirty men moved forward to face an army of eleven thousand soldiers in front of them, and four thousand soldiers behind them.
The Muslims were very comfortable because they knew Allah SWT had already promised them victory at Khaybar.
Intervention of a Divine Voice:
The four thousand soldiers from the Ghatafan heard a loud voice: Go back to Ghatafan, save your women and your children. There is something bad that is happening to your people.
The Ghatafan heard this voice and they got scared. They quickly abandoned their plans and went back to the area of Ghatafan..
They sent a messenger to Uyaynah ibn Hisn to inform him of what was happening. Uyaynah then gathered the remaining one thousand soldiers and went back to Ghatafan.
All five thousand of the soldiers had now left Khaybar and when they arrived back to their land, they realised that everything was calm and peaceful.
The women and children were fine and nobody had tried to invade them.
The Ghatafan were very confused about the voice they heard and Allah SWT knows best what the voice they heard was.